His Excellency the IUght Hon. Edward Frederick Lindley Wood , Baron Irwin of Kirby Underdale, G.M.S.l., G.M.I.E., Viceroy and Governor-General of India. NOTES ON KOLHAPUR Her Excellency Lady Irwin. NOTES ON KOLHAPUR
BY
RAO BAHADUR SIR R. V. SABNIS U.OIWAJC OP II'.OI.HAIUI.
BOYB.\Y THE TI:UES PRESS 1928 CONTENTS
PART I PAGI Situation and Aspect .. I Early History 3 Mauryu ... 3 Andhras 4 Chalukyas •• .5 Yadavu •• .. 6 Dahamanis .. 6 Marathas: Shivaji the Great, 1674 to r68o 7 Sambhaji •• .. 8 Rajaram •• 9 Shlvaji n. lj'OO to I7U •• 9 Sambhaji II. 1712 to 176o .•• 9 Shivaji III. 176o to r8u •• IO Shambhu. 18u to r8u: •• •• II Shahaj~ 18zr to 1837 n Shivaji IV, 1837 to t866 •• • • 11 Rajaram II, 1866 to 1870 u Shivaji V, 1870 to 1883 •• u Shahu II, 187-4 to 1921 and Minority period 13 Rajaram Ill •• •• 2S viii CONTENTS. PART II. PAGE Amba Bai Temple .. 39 Ceiling of Navagraha-:Mandap or Ashta-dikpal temple 4t Vitoba Temple • • 44 Tryrnbu1i • • • • 45 The Memorial Temples •• .. 49 Temple of Kopeshwar (Khidrapore) .. 50 Royal family of England ·• 53A New Palace .. 54 Old Palace •• .. 55 Residency •• • • '57 Shri Radhabai Akka Sahib Maharaj buildings .. 58 The Town Hall .. 59 Raj aram College •• •• 6o Kolhapur General Library · .. 6:a Ahilya Bai Girls' School .. 64 Jayshing Rao Ghatge Technical School .. 67 Albert Edward Hospital .. 6g Her Highness Shri Vijayamala Veterinary Hospital.. 7I Rajput Wadi Paddock • • • • 72 Shri Shahu Chhatrapati Spinning and Weaving Mills. 74 Sir Leslie Wilson Road and Lady Wilson Bridge • . 76 Shri Rajaram Tank 78 Panch Ganga Pumping Installation .. Bo Kalamba Tank 83 Ranka1a Tank Bs Panhala .. 86 PREFATORY NOTE
HANDY volume giving a concise up-to-date ·A account of Kolhapur and its chief institu tions, temples and places of interest, has been a longfclt want. The following pages are written with a view to meet it. This short narrative of the Kolhapur State has been compiled mainly from the follov.ing sources :- (I) Kolhapur by Major Graham, Political Superintendent in the early fifties of the last century. (2) Campbell's Gazetteer of Kolhapur. (3) Administration Reports of Kolhapur.
(~) Rao Bahadur Latthe's Memoirs of Hi..;; Jlighness Shri Shahu Chhatrapati, Maha raja of Kolhapur. · (5) lnfonuation kindly furnished by ofikers of the State and others. · To all these, I am greatly indebted. My ackno\\ledgments are due also to Dr. K. N. Sitaram, ~I.A., }>h.D., \·ice-Principal in the Rajaram Ccllege, who has furnished the ii ·PREFATORY NOTE •
. archa!Ological portion both .in the first as well as. second part of the notes. , . . i"owe a :debt '6£ gr~t.itud~ to the Kolhapur ··. Durbar, under whose .kind patronage these notes · . a~e published. · ·
R. V.S. G.C PART I. KOLHAPUR-ITS HISTORY. PART I.
KOLHAPUR.
KoLHAPt1R SrA TE lies between East Longi .. ~ a tude 74° 44' n• and 73° ·U' x6• and North..,... 0 0 11 Latitude li 10' 45 .. and I,S so' 20 • Its area is 3,2 I i. I square miles and population according to the census of xgu, 8JJ,I26 souls, and its approximate ,;ross revenue was 91 lakhs in 1925-26. It enjoys a temperate climate throughout the year, not being subject to the extremes of cold or heat. It has an average rainfall of about 40 inches. The undulating country in which it is situated is about 2,000 feet above the sea level, and its proximity to the Eastern slopes of the Sahya.drls renders the greater part of the State almost immune from famine and even from scarcity. It is irri· gated by six tributaries of the Krishna river, that take thcir source in the range of the Sahya mountains forming its western boundary. \\ithits rich variety of fauna and flora. its meandering silver streams \\ith the ever green sugar plantations on their banks, the spurs of the Sahyadris, capped here and there \\ith impregnable fortresses and 2 KOLHAPUR STATE. its sturdy warlike people, it may be called the Punjab of the Deccan, representing as it does a chapter of history illuminated with brilliant · deeds of bravery and noble self-sacrifice in the country's cause. ·. T H h H . hn of olhapur and Bh vn g r . SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR.
The history of this very ancient city, sacred~' alike to the Hindu, the Jain and the Buddhist, Hiaw'r· can be divided into six well defined periods. The first period can be styled the MAURY A period, the second the ANDIIRA, the third the CHALUKYA· R.~sHtRAKUtA, the fourtl1 the SILIU.R-YADAV, the fifth the B.uuM.\XI-BIJAPUR and the last the !\IARATHA. The tirst four periods cover the early years of Hindu supremacy up to 1347 A.D. The last two, Bahamani-Bijapur or Mahomedan period, lasted from 1347 A.D. to abo11t 1700 A.D • .and the 18th century ushered in the !\Iaratha period. Since arch:eology in the State is still in a very u..,... · primitive stage, and no excavations worth the name have as yet been made, the only monuments we can rely on for the history of the liaurya JX'riod are those which were uncovered by the e.xcavationsof xS;;A.D. Of these, the most import- .ant was a Stup (tope) constructed of burnt bricks, .aoout So feet in diameter, and apparently only 8 feet in height, enclosing a stone box which <:ontained a crystal casket, similar to those found 4 KOLHAPUR STATE. near Taxilla and Bhilsa. It is now preserved in the Prince of Wales Museum in Bombay. It contains an inscription in Brahmi characters of the 3rd century B.C.. when the Mauryas ruled a large part of the 'country... The stream called Jitinala, that flows. by t~e side of the Stup is ~arked. by a sacred spot cru!E~d Gaya· by reasons, no.. doubt, .9f its proximity: ~o- the Budh~l, Stup, like i~s· ·p~oto type in· Northern India.· 'For the conyeriience of batliers. m·the holy stream; a .stone fiiglit; of steps had been built~ But ·the spot h~s n~w under gone considerable change owing to the diversion of current. .IIi addition. to the above find, the fact ·that. several of the families in. · Kolhapur still bear. the. surriame .'More'· or 'Maurya' proves that this · part. of ·the country must have. been under : the . doininati
SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR. 5 Besides · these . discoveries· from the Brahma· purl Hill which at one· time may probably have housed a Buddhistic · settlement, there ·are three sets of caves \\ithin the State limits of Kolhapur belonging to the same period, which were evidently used by the Bikkus for : pl3.;<:es of retreat.· Of these the first, now converted· for Hindu uses and occupied by the shrine of Ramling (Alta sub-division), seems to belong to the same date as the old caves at Pandava Darah (Panhala Division) and at Povala Darah· (near the Jotiba Hill). Among these the best are now at Povala Darah, where besides a structurat Chaitya or Stup shrine, there are also pillared assembly halls, habitation cells, etc., now sunk under the earth. The Andhra period was succeeded by the GaiU,-. Chalukya period, which afte~ a time was followed by the Rashtrakuta · period which ushered in as-ain a later Chalukya period .. This. ~p~ _is represented by a large number of inScriptions (e.g., that of Jagadekamalla Deva, Saka 948, etc.). It shades off into the period of the Silhara rulers of Kolhapur, who were mainly Jains by persuasion, although they patronised Hindu temples also. Under these rulers, who numbered about half a dozen, Panhala assumed considerable importance. The greatest of the dynasty wa.S Bhoja II, who built the six reputed forts in Kolhapur, t:i:., Bavada, Bhudhargad, Khelna. 0r 6 KOLHAPUR STATE. Vishalgad, Panhala, Pavangad and Samangad • .The: Amba Bai, the Vitoba and other temples in Kolhapur were .renewed, several Jain Eustis, neary l36o, were built within the city, the famous Rankala.and other tanks were dug and built and finally t~e-.Brahmapuri Hill was abandoned as a living place. . Their inscriptions, scattered in Kolhapur territory and hitherto discovered, D;umber at least half a dozen, and new discoveries are being made. Yaclavu. The period of the Silharas merges into that of the Yadavas, who erected a number of shrines at Bid and elsewhere in Kolhapur territory and whose coins are still to be found there. Several places in the State territmy attest their presence by the names still borne by some families, and also by the. evidence of archreological finds. · Thus Singmipur, a few miles from Kolhapur, was probably one of the headquarters of Singhana II . of this dynasty.' The inscription stone bearing date shaka II35 (1213·14 A.D.) fixed on the walls of the Khidrapore (Kopeshwar) temple, belongs to .this king. Therein he grants the village of Kurundwad to the service of the said temple of 1 Kopeshwar~ In another inscription he is described' as being •• a very Garuda putting ·to flight the serpent, which was the mighty Bhoja, whose habitation was Panhala." Bahe•••i~o · This Yadava period witnessed the onslaught of the armies of the. Bahamani Kings in Kolhapur SHORT JUSTORY OF 1\:0LHAPUR. 'j territory. They captured Panhala, Vishalgad, and other forts and destroyed several huge shrines now completely \\iped off the earth, and mutilated the rest. The irreparable damage done to the Khidrapore, the Raibag and the Kolhapur temples furnish sad evidence of thci~ acts of fanatic van· dalism. Finally in 1498, A.D. \\nen the Bahamani Kingdom split up into its component parts, the territory of Kolhapur and its important fortresses like Panhala, Vishalgad, etc., fell to the heritage of Bijapur, from whose clutches, they again passed into Hindu hands of the Great Siva Marat~u.~ Ch.hatrapati, the illustrious ancestor of the present~,..:!' s:t. ~laharaja of Kolhapur, a blu~blooded Kashtriya auo. descended from Sri Ramcbandra through his ddest son Kusa, through Bappa Rawal, the founder of the Imperial dynasty of Udaipore, which is acknowledged even to-day as the most celebrat· ed Royal House of Bharatavarsha. Shivaji's military operations in Kol.hapur territory com- . menced in 1659 A.D., when he obtained possession <>f Panhala and the adjoining fort of Pavangad. After getting a footing here, he captured other forts on the Sahyadri range, Vishalgad or Khelna in the north and Rangna in the south. These forts amply repaid all the pains taken in reducing them, by affording him shelter when he was hard pressed by the hostile forces sent against him by the Bijapur Government. It was near these 8 KOLHAPUR STATE.·. \ Jorts that one of the: most brilliant episodes in.. Maratha Wstory .occurr~d.: ·After the slaughter of Afzulkhan an~ his aimy,· when, to avenge the deed,. ~i Shahu was kept in captivity. The kingdom then fell to his younger brother, Rajaram. He succeeded ltai.,.. in turning back the tide of the fresh invasion of Mahomedans, who had been elated by their recent achievements. After his demise in 1700 A.D., Rajaram's heroic wife, Tarabai, placed her son Shivaji II on theGadi and conducted the adminis·SiaiYaiilL tration. Her strenuous efforts, howe\'er, to maintain intact the rich inheritanc~ bequeathed by the Foundcr of the Maratha Empire, were frustrated by Aurangzebe's successor by a grand and ingeni- ous stroke of policy. He liberated Sambhaji's son Shahu from captivity . .'The release of. this scion of the elder branch of the ·Imperial House: led to an internecine war among the Marathas .fur succession · to the Hindupadbadshahi (Hindu . sovereignty) •. ·founded . by his grand-father. Tarabai \\ith her son had ·to flee from. Sa tara and take shelter · in the fort of Panhala, I2 miles from Kolhapur, and the struggle between the rh·a.t claimants ended at last in the partition of=~ It the Raj between the two grand-sons of Shivaji, Shahu, and Sambhaji the son of the younger \\ife of Rajaram, who had succeeded his nephew Sbh·aji II. A treaty was entered into between them in 1731 A.D., whereby the Raj at Kolhapur, then embracing a large tract of country, right from the \\• arna to the Junction of the Krishna and the Tungabhadra, fell to the share of the repre- 10 . KOLHAPUR STATE. sentative of the younger branch, Sambhaji. It fanned a separate independent kingdom with all the.honours and dignities, and powers and privi leges, of the main branch of the Imperial House at Satara. ·shivaji's fonn of government was adopted ·in Kolhapur, and in confonnity , · with . the constitution of the hereditary minis try in the Imperial Government of Shivaji, the . feudatories of Kolhapur, fanning a here ditary cabinet of Asth Pradhans (eight ministers) came into being. As such they have now ceased to function except for ceremonial purposes and they pay a fixed contribution in lieu of service. Sambhaji died without issue in 1760 A.D. and a member of the Bhosale family. was adopted as his successor ~t~G.i~ 1~· and named Shivaji III or Shivaji II of Kolhapur, and the dowager queen Maharani Jijabai Saheb conducted the administration, during which the first Treaty was concluded with the East India Company in 1765 A.D. Another Treaty was entered into in the interests of British trade and was signed in 1792 A.D. After the death of the Dowager Maharani in 1772 A.D., troublous times followed and the young ruler had to fight with his neighbours on the east and south, the Patwardhans, Savants and the Nipanikar. The British Government had to intervene and protection from aggression was guaranteed to him under the Treaty of I8II A.D. The next year Shivaji died after a rule of fifty-three SIIORT IUSTORY OF KOLHAPUR. II years. His two sons Sambhu alias Aha Saheb and S'luDW.-, Shahaji alias Bava Saheb succeeded him 'one after IIU..ll%1. the other. TI1e former met \\ith a \iolcnt death at the hands of one of his Sardars in 1821 A.D. His cordial friendship \\ith the British, was reward- ed by the restoration to him . of the districts Qf Chikodi and Manoli, which had 'been. in former years, wrested from him by the Nipanikar. His brother Shahaji succeeded him. Shahaji's active hostilities \\ith the ncighbowing Chiefs and his acts sa..u;;. of spvliation resulted in the Treaties of 1826 A.D. liZI-ll37. and 1827 A.D. TI1e latter cost Kolhapur the districts of Chikodi and Manoli which his father had won back by his friendly senices to the British Go,·ernment. After Davasaheb's death, on the 29th Nov· Shi••.iiiV. rmbcr 1838. his son Shivaji alias Baba Saheb W'MI&I. Maharaja succeeded to the Gadi. The internal dissensions during his minority again called for British inten·ention and the British Government appointed a minister of their O\\n to reform the administration. The rebellion of 184-4 was the n>sult of the sweeping measures intrcr duccd by that officer. After its suppression all the forts in the State were dismantled and the British Government assumed direct administration of the State. until in x86l the management was restored to the ~laharaja and a uew Treaty was concluded \\ith him. Shh·aji IV Il .: ; ; . KOLHAPUR STATE. remained faithful to the British Governmerif d.Uri.ng the·mutiny of 1857 and receiv:ed the rlgh~ of adoption. Knighthood of the Order of Stafof India was subsequently conferred on him. ·':fie • n died in 1866 after adopting his nephew' (sister's R1)11'1111... . 1866-1870. son) who was named -Rajaram. The latter was· was one of the most brilliant and enlightened of the rulers of Kolhapur, but unfortunately his career was cut short by a sudden illness while on his ·way back to India and· a portion of his ashes now lie underneath a .beautiful Chhatri on the' · banks of the River Amo·. · The spot is marked by a bust erected :in his. ·honour .. It 'adorns' a lovely site · beyond ; the · Cascini. This amiable and accomplished prince,· after whom the premier _· . ·educ~ticnal i~stitution · of th~ State, the ·Rajaram ·· College, is named, was succeeded by Shivaji V, who SIU•aji V, · · · · 1870.1883. unfort1ma1ely got demented and met with a tragic de~th 'at' Ahmedn~gar_ on, D~cember 25th, I883. · After him ·sat on the Gadi Shri Shahu Chhatrapati r~~ M3.haraja \m~er whom Kolhapu~ shot into great prominence and:·· uiuivalled prosperity. Shri Shahu Maharaj was hom on July 26, IB74, in the family of the. ·Ghatages ·of Kagal. His· father Jaysingrao, alias' Abas~eb-' Ghatage, . Chief. 'of · Kagal, was well known for hi~ zeal for. the welfare . of his subjects, his liberal views and: his extremely friendly ·relations with Briti-sh Government. Yeshv:antrao~ by which· name· Shahu Chhatrapati SHORT JUSTORY OF KOLHAPt:R. IJ was known in his natural family, was Ab3.saheb's .eldest son and was adopted by the Maharanee Anandibai Saheb after the death of her husband sw.. m Shivaji V. For a short time, Shahu llaharaj was .....-.• sent to the Rajkumar College at · Rajkot · for education. But he was soon. brought back, and subsequently, along \\ith his brother Bapu Saheb, the Jahagirdar of Kagal (Sr.) and his uncle, Bala Saheb, the Jahagirdar of Kagal (Jr.), kept at Dharwar, under the guardianship of Mr. (now Sir) Stuart Fraser. After finishing their prescribed course of studies, the Kumars made tours in India and Ceylon \\ith their guardian, and when Shahu Maharaj was nearly twenty, he was installed on the Gadi of Kolhapur and invested \\ith full powers ()( the State. The advent of a ruler to the gadi, after a long period of minorities of nearly half a century, was hailed with great jubilation not only by the subjects of the Raj, but throughout the whole ()( Maharashtra. The follo\\ing .extract from the address presented by a deputation of the Poona. Sarvajanik Sabha, the popular assembly of the Deccan, to the young Maharaja immediately on his installation, shows \\ith what joy the event was received:- ~ The Kolhapur Raj repr~t.& in these daya the. direct line of the deacenda.nts of the Great Shivaji, -.no foundN the Yaratha Empire, and though ita territorW. limita are now con.fi.ned to a amall district. yet it i.t by reiliOll of ita tradition aD object of 14 KOLHAPUR STATE. '· reverence and. affection throughout the whole of Hindustan, wherever the Maratha influence · ·extends. ; It is thiS national bond of allegiance and :love which has brought .us here to join with the ... peoplff.of Kolliap1;1r on this auspicious occasion.'' •. ~ As the same Sabha .observed on another occasion· through the.mouth of the late Mr. G. K. Gokhale~ < ·. · ·. · . . •' ·:_·"the'· Kolliapur Gadi still continues to stand as a. :visible ·emblem of the great work which the : ·· ~~athas were able fo achieve, and ita occupants · will always,be regarded by the people of the whole Mahar~tra:.....Cven by those who are not directly subjeeted to their rule-\,ith feelings of veneration . . and affection. •• · · · •.. .Thus it was after a l~ng period of minority Qf·ruJ.ers.extending almost continuously over fifty years, that His Highness the late Shahu Chhatra pati J.iaharaja, G.C;V.O., G.C.S.I.,LL.D., assumed the:reins:of Government on the 2nd of April 1894. For most of this period, the Bombay Government Periocl of administered the Raj of Kolhapur through their miaoritiel till 18M. P6litical · Agent, and . latterly, under his super- . vision, the administration was conducted by the Regent in (:ouncil and Council ,of administration. This period~ exceeding half a century, was marked by pr!)gl'~ in .the ~tate in all directions. Several public works of great utility were executed. The City"·was embellished by that imposing edifice, the N~v. Palaee,· with its graceful architecture and harmoniou5 blend 'of the Indo-Saracenic style. The inagiuficent .• buildiD.gs of the Albert Edward . . . I phant Fi ht SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR. IS Hospital and the Town Hall, surrounded by a beautiful garden were erected. The Department of vaccination was organised for the prevention of small-pox. Sanitation of the City was greatly improved, the walls of the fort round it, which barred free access of the air. ~ere demolished, and the trenches inclosing them, which were hot beds of all manner of disease germs, were filled up. The Kalamba tank was built which, while it provided the City with pure drinking water, also made it almost immune from ravages of cholera. The masonry dam of the Rankalla tank, with the ornamental turrets and lattice work of its intake, was also built during this period. The Kolhapur Miraj Railway, cons· tructed during the latter part of the period, has not only stimulated trade, but added largely to the revenues of the State. \\nen the work was undataken there were great misgivings that it may not even pay its way. But it has been not only self-supporting, but now, with the impetus to trade given by Sir Shahu Chhatrapati, pays a di\idend of 10 per cent. The Shivaji bridge was built across the Punch Ganga on the Kolhapur Ratna;iri Road removing the longfelt incon· \'cnience to passenger and vehicular traffic. The State Risalla was comfortably lodged in the spa· cious and commodious stables built for it and His Highness• riding and carriage horses were suitably 16 KOLHAPUR STATE. accommodated in a building with an ornamental front near the Old Palace. A spendid building was provided for the High School named after the late Rajaram Maharaja, whose promising career was cut short in the prime of his youth on his way back from his tour to England. Two college classes were added to the Institute thus providing a second grade college to the State. A stately building was erected for the girls' school named after the late Her Highness Maharani Ahilyabai, a highly revered lady of the Royal family. An orna mental building was provided for the Kolhapur Library, built in a- style harmonising with the beautiful architecture of the noble edifice in its front, Rajaram College {then the Rajaram High School). Schools were established in villages for the spread of primary education. Thus education, primary and secondary: received great incentive. To such a well ordered and progressive administration Shahu Maharaja succeeded. ·His reign lasted for a little more than 38 years, from March 17, 1884, to Shaha 11'1 May 6, 1922. During his administration many admiaistra tioa. reforms were introduced for the welfare of his subjects, but the one task to which he devoted his energies was the reduction of the social inequalities he found among the people committed ·to his care. The uplift of the masses claimed his sole attention. His genuine sympathies for the tiller of ·the soil and the depressed classes or the so- SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR. 17 called untouchables, afford a key to most of his activities during his regime. With a \iew to afford relief to the rayats, especially in the eastern part of the State, which periodically suffers from scarcity, one of the great works undertaken by him was the construction ~f a huge masonry dam across the Bhoga vati in ·a valley of the Sahayadris. It was calculated to irrigate more than 20,000 acres. Close upon twenty lakhs of rupees were spent over the project. The work is yet to be completed. Small tanks, costing over a lakh of rupees, were constructed at \Vadgaon and Atigra which, besides providing drinking water to the villages, also supply water for irrigation. A tank was built at Shirol to relieve the longfelt want of drinking water. To promote the growth of trade, he brought into being the now flourishing centre of commerce in Kolhapur, the suburb of Shahupuri, and Jayasingpuri near ShiroL The Shahu spinning and wea\ing mills owe their birth to his keen desire for encouraging industry. They utilize cotton pro duced in the State, which also provides the requisite custom for their products. Shahu Chhatrapati's claim, however, to the esteem and affectionate regards of posterity is based, not so much on the tanks, buildings and mills constructed during his regime, nor on his creation of the great suburb of Shahupuri, as on the stupendous task of the elevation of the masses. It absorbed his atten· 18 KOLHAPUR STATE. tion and energies throughout his life. From the beginning he realised the necessity of setting on the right track the whole social machine, which, for. ages, had strayed along lines harmful to· national growth. To do so he had to embark on the tough undertaking of a fight with the traditional hierarchy· of caste. He set about his work systematically. All forces that made for the uplift of the masses were utilized by him. Compulsory primary education was introduced into the. State and a fair start was made in launching the measure. To give a stimulus to higher educa ... · tion among the backward classes, communal hostels were built for their different sections. In ·the State service preference was given to these long handicapped communities. Even the so-called untouchables were admitted to it. To free the · latter from the ban of untouchability he led the way by employing them even in his household and. occasionally freely dining with them. The activitie~ of the Arya Samajist and the Satya Shodhak were given considerable scope. Nor did· consideration of alien religion find place in his broad-minded sympathy with the down trodden depressed classes. His appreciation of the Christian missionaries' efforts to ·ameliorate the hard lot of these unfortunate communities found expression . in his princely generosity towards these selfless workers. It has secured Ambar Khana (Panhala). SHORT IUSTORY OF KOLHAPUR. 19 to the Christian Mission spacious buildings and prominent sites in and about the City. His staunch loyalty to the British Throne and his unsparing efforts to suppress sedition and disloyalty in and also outside his State brought on him bitter attacks from the extremist press. But undaunted by them, he flinched not, deeply convinced as he was that the salvation of India depended on the uplift of the masses, that it was the British Government that was the first to apply the powerful lever to the work, and that the end could not be attained without their sympathies and · help. Thus cordial co-operation with the British Government was the watchword of his policy and his 'humble services' as he used to say, were always at their disposal. His active help in the troublous days, when sedition was rampant, especially in the DecC3.Il, is well known as are his services during the Great \\'ar when he offered to fly into Kutel .. .amara and use his personal influence \\ith the Maratha soldiery there, who had declined to partake of forbidden food. So great, however, was his hold over them that a mere message from him sent under his signature and seal, was enough to bring them round. Similarly during the visit of His Royal Highness the Prince of \\'ales i.o. · 1911, when non-co-operation was at its height, by his \igorous efforts to counteract it, the movement lost its edge. Regarding Shahu 20 KOLHAPUR STATE. Chhatrapati's services during the Great War His Excellency Sir Leslie Wilson has aptly remarked in his speech on the occasion of unveiling his memorial:- '' In this great epoch of history the Kolhapur State led by His late Highness played its part nobly. It gave recruits, contributions in material and money, and other service in full proportion to its population and resources.•• His zealous work in the interests of his people and his valuable services during the Great Wai, were highly appreciated by the British Govern ment. It found recognition in his being made a ' G.C.S.I., G.C.V.O. and G.C.I.E., in the restoration to His House of the power of capital punishment and Residuary jurisdiction in feudatory Jahagirs, and in the bestowal of the great honour of a per sonal salute of 21 guns on him. He was one of the. few Indian princes who had the honour of being invited to England for the Coronation of His late :Majesty King-Emperor Edward VII. He availed . himself of the opportunity to make a tour on the Continent of Europe and visited a few places of importance in France a:nd Italy. \Vhile he was in England, the Cambridge University rewarded his zeal for the spread of education, by conferring on him the highest academical honour, the degree of LL.D., and that rather exclusive Institute, the Royal Society of Agriculture in England, honoured him by admitting him to membership in its SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR. 21 appreciation of his active interest in agricultme, and specially in apiculture. . . Shahu Chhatrapati manied from the cele brated family of Khanwilkars of Baroda and had four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom two, one daughter and on~ son, died during his life-time. His eldest daughter, Her Highness S. S. Maharani Radhabai Aka Saheb 1\laharaj, is married to His Highness the Maharaja Saheb of Dewas (Sr.), Sir Tukojirao Powar, K.C.S.I. She is the mother of the talented heir-apparent to the throne of Dewas (Sr.), His Highness Prince Vikram· sinha Maharaja, who, though only 17 years old, has already distinguished himself by his brilliant University career. Her Highness . Aka Saheb llaharaj is an expert rider and inheriting the love of horses from her father, has a splendid stud of racers. Her sister died very young. Shahu Maharaja's last days were embittered by a heavy domestic calamity. His younger son Prince Shivaji Maharaja, a bright and intelligent youth, beloved by all, met \\ith an accident in Shikar. \\1ule--pig-sticking he was thrown from his horse and died in the prime of budding manhood on June u, 1918, at the age of 19. The Prince Shivaji Hostel, which now supports many a poor Maratha student, has been started in his name. In memory of the gallant Prince, an equestrian statue is to be erected on a prominent site, in 22 KOLHAPUR STATE. front of the Victoria Maratha Education Society's buildings, where the Sir William Bird wood Road starts .. : , : · ·.'. : . ·~ After ·an arduous lifelong struggle in the cause of the' backward communities Sir Shahu Chhatrapati . breathed his last on Sunday, the 6th· May: 1922 .. He was an all-round sportsman, equaily. interested in coursing· as in big game shooting and .falconry as well as cheeta hunt. The latter indeed was his specialty. When he went after a herd o.f deer, it was a sight to see him drive over rough tineven ground, at a break-neck speed, his: f6tir-in-hand,·.with cheetas seated on either side~ . his tan muscular figU.re, six feet in height proininently standing·out. ·He was fond of elephant fights, and the special agadas ( arenas ) constructed by 'lilin at .vaiious places, Radhanagari, Raibag, Rukadi, .Kolhapur, &c., are standing witnesses of his great .love of the sport. He was partial to it because, as he used to say, it led to the growth of that virile spirit of fearlessness in facing danger, charaCteristic of· the. Maratha.· He took great delight _·also in· seeing the races of draft animals like tonga ponies and · bullocks. Those sports were held annually near the present race-course and man.y a villager was proud to secure an entry in the ·races to the bullocks and ponies bred by him. Bemg himself a great wrestler, wrestling was his favourite amu.Sement .. : A spacious arena has been SHRI SHAHU MEMORIAL. ia M mo oal to the r ered memory of ffia late Hi~rhnesa Sir Shri Shahu Chhatrapati, G OC OSJ., G.C.I or o oV o o• o o• t , Maharaja oJ olbapur, w er ted b hia aubjecta in Kolhapuro and alao his friends and admi outsid tok n of the hil'h and alf tionate esteem in which be was held by them It was unveiled b Hi a ..U n R i~rbt Hon'ble ir L lie Orme Wilaon, PC , G CJ E , C M G , 0 S 0 , on 12th April 1927 0 SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR.. 2J trected in Khasbag right in the heart of the City. It is large enough to seat more than twenty thousand people and there throughout the year matches of renovmed \\Testlers used to be held. His son and successor, His Highness Sir Shri Rajaram Chhatrapati Maharaja,. .has inherited his fondness for this sport as well as cheeta hunt, and they ha\'e now become specialties of Kolhapur. This brief sketch of the monarch's career may aptly be concluded by a quotation from a speech of the late Governor, Sir Geoq;e (now Lord) Lloyd, who knew him personally and also one from the Preface to Rao Bahadur Latthe's • Memoirs of Shahu Chhatrapati,' written by Sir Stuart Fraser, K.C.I.E., late Resident of Hyderabad, who was Shahu Maharaja's Tutor and Guardian during the latter part of his tutelage. To the broadening influence of Sir Stuart's tuition may be traced the roots of that catholic sympathy for humanity, which was the main spring of all his pupil's activi ties in his after-life. The seed sown by him had fallen on fertile soil. Towards Sir Stuart Fraser Shahu Chhatrapati retained to the laSt feelings of deep affection and friendship. Sir Stuart says in the preface:- "' Preachers of reform have appeared from time to time of many difierent types; scholars and philosophers of the lit.ente ch.sses, saints. poets. and lovers of their fellow-men, ··ho !'ptang from a vwty of 1\:0LHAPUR STATE. castes. It may be doubted, however, whether any.. thing like a similar instance is recorded of a Ruling Prince who worked and suffered during his whole manbopd in one long struggle against the deep rooted evils of a complex social and religious system in order to effect the betterment of the humblest of · .his fellow-men. Not a low-caste man who bad himself been under the harrow of oppression, but a Kshatriya of illustrious . family, and Ruler of the principal State in the Bombay Presidency-not a studious ascetic, but a genial .figure, fortunate in ·his one· wife and his children, and very human in all his traits-not a freethinker. but scrupulous even to the verge of superstition in his personal observances-untouched by Western republican ideas and a model of per· sonalloyalty to ·the Crown-an all round sports man who loved horse and hound-the Maharaja was a man who might have found his place among the ranks of those who view the world as a com· fortable dwelling on the whole, make the best of things as they are, and avoid stirring up hornets' nests. Such a· conventional attitude, however. did not accord either with the Chhatrapati Maharaja's militant conscience or with his ideal of the obliga· tions attaching 1:o his position. His varied charac teristics add interest to the story of his life long fight in one of the most unselfish of causes." · Sir George Lloyd on the occasion of his visit to Kolbapur in 1922 said:- •• He (Sbahu Chhatrapati) was a ruler who combined definite ideals of work wit~ strength and capacity to attain them and the administration of the great ld UJ ri SHORT HISTOKY OF KOLHAPUR. 25 State, bean everywhere the impress of his personal mergy and enthusiasm. Ouside his State, he wu a powC'rful champion of a cause, as worthy as any that is being fought for in India, and in him the backward classes have lost a friend •ilo was as an x.ious as he was strong to help them and finally I am privileged to speak of him as a personal friend; I m)'5clf think that all y;ho so knew him must remember most vividly a quality about him which is hard to describe in words. It 'IUS his deep enjoyment and most sympathetic understanding of the human side in all those with •·hom he came into contact. It was from thi. understanding, from his fMh, almost joyoua interest in all the thoughts and actions of hie fellow-men that his chnacter to my mind derived its chief strenph and charm. lie •·as an outstanding personality and if we have a con!'Olation for his loss, it i• in the conviction, stadily growing among us, that Your Highness (Shri Rajaram Chhatrapa.ti) bas inherited a large share of his qua!ities and of his anxiety for the good administration of his State •·hich he has bequeathed to you." Sir Shahu Chhatrapati llaharaj was succeeded Iii•- m. by his eldest son His Highness Sir Shri Rajaram Maharaj, G.C.I.E., who is now on the throne. His Highness was born on the Jist of July, 1897. His royal father bestowed very great care on his educa- · tion. · After going through the vernacular course of studies, when he had some grounding in English. he was sent to England in charge of a European lady for further education. He was accompanied 26 KOLHAPUR STATE. by his late brother Prince Shivaji Maharaj, the eldest son of theJahagirdar of Kagal (Jr.), and a few other Kumars from Sardar families. It was the earnest desire of the late His Highness Shri Shahu Maharaja that his sons should learn and take inter est in agriculture and should spend about seven years in England. But unfortunately the Great War came in the way and the Princes had hardly three years in England before they had to return. On their return journey they took the route via Atlantic and Pacific oceans and availed themselves of the opportunity to gain knowledge at first hand of the democratic people of the great American Continent through which they had to· pass. On their way they saw Hongkong, Singapore and parts of China and Japan and reached Kolhapur on the 17th of October 1915. It was a keen disappointment to His late Highness that the Princes had to come back before they could finish the prescribed course of studies. Determined, nevertheless, . that they should have sufficient knowledge of scientific Agriculture to enable them to take active interest in the Agricultural pursuits of his people, he sent them to Allahabad, where they joined the Ewing Christian College and pursued their studies in that subject. His Highness studied there for about a year. The climate of the place, however, did, not agree \\ith him, OLD G JARI ( R o w d und r it lmpro ment S b m ). SHORT HISTORY OF KOLH.APUR. 27 and he had to be brought back to Kolhapur . after a severe illness. Since then, up to the unexpected and untimely demise of his father, the young Maharaja's time was occupied in mastering details of administrative work \\ith the help of experienced officers. of the State. Thus amply equipped, Shri Rajaram' Maharaja came to the throne, and when he found himself at the helm of affairs, he felt no difficulty in steering aright the ship of the State. He took up the threads of administration most seriously and has steadily and silently worked hard for the peaceful progress o~ his State. Though very young, he has shown that he possesses sound judgment of riper years and great tact, very rarely found . at his age. All departments have claimed his attention. First of all in order to put the finances of the State on a proper footing, he has, with a strong hand, curtailed his expenditure on Khasgi. \\•ithin the short space of five years since coming to the throne, be has effected great improvement in the administration. Almost all departments have been overhauled and fresh blood has been infused into them. The Rajaram Collrge, which had been handed over to the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha for manage ment, has been taken 0\·er under the direct control of the Darbar and suitably manned and equirped to meet the requirements of a full· KOLHAPUR STATE. grade Institution with a Science class. The change has largely added to its usefulness and the number of students has risen from 280 in 1922 to 325. In this connection it may not be out of place to mention here that some of the most renowned men who took a leading part in the politics of the day, hail from Kolhapur. Its educational Institutions claim among their alumni men like the late Messrs. Justice Ranade and G. K. Gokhale, whose towering intellects combined with calm and judicious moderation, once made their influence felt throughout India. The Indian Civil Service too has its quota of talente~ men who received their education in the Rajaram College. Under the great .stimulus which the Institution has now. received from its present enlightened .Ruler, it is not too much to expect that many more may follow in the wake of their distinguished predecessors. The grant for Education including primary and secondary education has been con siderably enhanced, and compulsory education is pushed on with great vigour. The persistent efforts of Shri Shahu Maharaja to. create in his son an active interest in Agriculture have borne rich fruit. Several institutions whose sole aim is the spread of scientific knowledge of Agriculture owe their birth to His Highness' desire to improve the lot of the cultivator by teaching him advanced methods of farming and use of State Bungalow No. 1 (Panhala). SHORT HISTORY OF KOUIAPUL 29 improved implements of husbandry securing economy of labour. Suitable endowment for a number of scholarships has enabled the American Mission to start Agricultural classes accompanied with demonstration work on the lands allotted to them for the purpose. They. )ield an annual income of over Rs. 2,000. A special department has been organised and placed under an officer, an experienced graduate in agriculture, to stimu· late the creation and work of co-operative societies and to help agriculturists. The Lord Irwin Agri (;Ultural Museum, which will shortly be opened by His Excellency the Viceroy, v.ill be a centre of agricultural activities in the State. The demon strations to be held in connection therewith \\ill, by pro\iding ocular evidence of the utility ()f scientific methods of cultivation, be of very great service to the rural areas of the State. The Agricultural Exhibition accompanying the opening ceremony of the Institute, promises to be a show most helpful to the actual tiller of the soil as also to the capitalist farmer. Revenue ()fticers have been relieved of much of their work ()( a quasi-judicial nature. They can now devote undi\ided attention to their revenue duties. The pri\ilege of elective franchise has been conferred upon :Municipalities, both in the City of Kolha pur:md Taluka towns outside, and also on District .and Taluka Boards, or Ilaklu. and Taluka 30 KOLHAPUR STATE; :Panchayats as they are called. A start has thus . been; made in · training. the people to · take part in the work of the administration and His Highness has· been carefully. and anxiously watching the experiment .. · The annual conferences of officials and·Jeading:non~officials in the State is· a new feature of His Highness• administration. It is ~alculated to conduce to its efficiency by promoting mutual :understanding and good-will and bringing about and maintaining harmonious relations between them. ·.To improve the sanitation of the City .. and . to further relieve . congestion, His Jnghness has given up, for creating a new suburb :Q.atn~d after his . revered mother Her Highness .~aharani Laxmibai ·.Saheb Maharaj, his private 4tlds in the .1\.haralla· gardens yielding a fairly large~ incom.e .. This has secured the triple ~ arrangements for ~tration and disinfection of water, will secure to the people living in the camp and the subUrb of Shahupuri, a perennial supply of pure drinking water. The Rajaram Tank that js under construction near Sarnobat wadi about four miles from the City, will be of use for purposes of irrigation and could also be drawn upon as an additional source of water to the City, should necessity arise. With the liberalising influence of the education received by him, His Highness would no longer shut his eyes to the evils of early and infant marriage, .and to prevent them he took the bold measure of resorting to legislation. In the beginning he was not able · to go far enough. But the step taken will now successfully put a stop to marriages of girls below 10 and of boys below 14 years of age. To the same liberalising influence of . English education, combined with travels abroad and sojourn in foreign country, is to be traced the complete freedom from communal bias, visible everywhere in the administration. All caste5 and creeds are receiving fair treatment and due encouragement and support at the hands of His Highness, and the Marathas, Lingayats, Jains and Moslems as .well as advanced and depressed classes alike share the patronage of the State. Equal opportunities for all would appeal to be his guiding principle. SHORT HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR. 33 His Highness' relations \\ith the British Government have been of a most cordial nature. The present Governor, His Excellency Sir Leslie \Vilson, and his predecessor Sir George (now Lord) lloyd, and the Resi~ents at Kolhapur, have been most friendly to him' and have taken the keenest interest in his well-being. It is their encouragement and guidance, as he has often expressed himself, that have proved a source of inspiration to him and helped him in initiating and Ca.Il)ing out reforms in the administration. His Highness is a teetotaller and his scru· pulously pure and spotless private character is an inspiring example to his Court. Its effect is visible everywhere in the State. Appreciating the beneficent iniluence of the Boy Scout movement His Highness has become the Chief Scout of its Kolhapur unit. It was at his instance that the Boy Scouts of the State have been affiliated to the Imperial Organi sation which bears the name of its illustrious founder. In declaring open the Sir George lloyd Boy Scout camp in Kolhapur, His Excellency the Governor observed :- •• The v.'hole of the Boy Scout movement is made of entirely independent unih and runs oo indtpendent line.•, and your Highness' Kolhapur Scouts will lose nothing of their independence by belonging to the Imperial movemtnt. but rather •ill ally themselves with. and gain fre.b strength from being a member 34 KOLHAPUR STATE. as Canada, Australia, New Zealand or any other pa~t .of. t~e Empire is, and therefore I thank your :. High~eSSI for; the. splendi~. example you have given · in regard to the unity of this great movement. The : second· hnpo;tant matter' r see in this Scout move-' . ment in Kolhapur is:With .regard to your Highness' : h€adsl)ip of :the· Maratha. people and I therefore . ,. ,hOJ?~ th~t rour. Highness. example and influence will , help right through the Maharashtra among the Maratha people to bi:ing the Maratha youth into a . moyeinent, which has proved so beneficial for the ·Empire wherever it has been tried." Li~e J¥s father, His Highness is also a lover of. horse-flesh.' .· It is a' inrit of character which lias .. be.en the peculiarity of the Kings of Kplhapur from· eady' historical times. Thus We find that as far back as 150.. A.D.'. ·Kolhapur was styled . Hyppocura. and· from .the 8th century onwards Turagpnra (City of· horses) both Hippos and T~r~g~ . meaning' a horse.. Cheeta hunt is His :Highness' favounte sport. His magnificent stud of bree~g.· ~kcing arid i:iding horses will com :P#e.· With 3.IiY. in or outs~de India. : . The Mahara.ja is foitunate in having a mother th~ · Dowager·· Miliarani · Sah~b, Her Highness Laxm~bai1 • w:ho ..has mainly been instrumental in· ' bringing . ·him' up in all the noble tra ditlo~s ·of ~the'. House· of. Shivaji the Great. ~ typical ~Iaratha lady of high birth, affectionate ~~. ~d, ·FJ;~r. H~g~ess is. loved and adored by olh u R our SIIORl HISTORY OF KOLHAPUR. 35 him as she is by all people. She takes a keen interest in the welfare of children, and poor orphans are her special care. The Baby \Veek and Child \Velfare movements have received a great impetus from her genuine sympathy and tender regards for the destitute~ Her Highness . is a lover of fine arts and devotes her spare hours to bead-work pictures, among which those of I lis Royal Highness the Prince of \Vales and the God Krishna, destroying the deadly serpent, attest her taste, assiduity and care. They were not very long ago exhibited in the \Vembley and Poona Fine Art Exhibitions and were greatly admired. His Highness has two \\ives, his first wife Her Highness Maharani Tarabai Saheb is the srand-daughter of His Highness Maharaja Sir Sayajirao Gaikwad, being the sister of the present Yuvaraj of Baroda. His second \\ife, Her High ness Maharani Vijayamala Saheb comes from a respectable Maratha family in Tanjore. His first marriage took place in April 1918 and the second in June 1925. From the enlightened and progressive administration of His Highness during the first quinquennium of his reign, the assiduous and anxious attention he has been pa}ing to the minutest details and the remarkable success aclueved by him during the period, it may well be KOLHAPUR STATE affirmed that, under Divine grace, the State will have an era of progress, peace and prosperity in His Highness' regime and that His Highness will earn the rich reward of the blessings of a happy, contented and thriving people advancing along right lines in all directions. May His Highness have a long, prosperous and glorious reign ! Genealogical Tree of the House of Shivaji the Great, Founder of the Maratha Empire, showing the Kolhapur Branch. Maloji Bhonsle. I I Shahaji Shar,pji I I i I Sambhaji Shivaji \ Vyankoji I I (founder 'of the Tanjor family) Trior I I Sambha~i Rajaram (Sa tara (Kolhapur) I vr Shivji alias Shahu I '\l'• I Mankaji Shivaji II Sambhaji II ~0 (1700•1712) 1 (1712·1\'60) 2 '\l I ~ Shahaji Ra' I ~ Ramf ~a Ram Raja ~ (Khanvatkar) l J '\l ~ I I Shivaji III 8 I (1760 1812)--Mankaji Sambhaji I I Ramachandrarao I I I Shambhu Shahaji Narayanrao (Abasaheb) (Ba va Sabeb) . I (1812-1821) 4 (18z1-1837) IS Dmkarrao I I I I Shivaji IV Shahu Avubai (Baba Saheb) (Chima Saheb) (M. to llamchandra Patankar) (!837·1866) 6 ~ ~ 0. RaJaram.1 1!7'-~---Nr- agOJirav1.. (1866·I870) ~ i 't! i Shivaji V8:------1-Narayanrav (!870·1883). i ~ Balabai ~ 2nd. daughter I M. to Narayanrav Shahu (r884-1922) Ghatge of Kagal (His late Highness) 9 I Jaislngrav I Aba Saheb Rajaram III 10 (The present Maharaja) G.... I""" Yesbvantrav Baba Saheb Ghatge of Kagal Feudatory Jahagirdars of Kolhapur are aine in namher. They all paJ NAZAR on succession equal to ayear's net income of their Jahqin and also an annual coatributioa towards the maintenance of Military force. The followiq table gives their names, titlea, &e., and some details about their Jahagira : Contri· bution towards Popula· Gross mainte· Name. Title. Residence. Caste. Age. Area. tion. Revenue. nance of Military force. Rs. Rs. 1. Meherban Abajirao Pant Pra· Malkapur. Brahman 58 236 square 30,125 3,22,515 5,000 Krishnarao. tinidbi. Madhyan· miles. (Jahagirdar of Vishalgad.) din. 2. Meherban Mad h a v r a oPant Amatya Bavada. Brahmin 68 243 square 44,680 2,37,222 ],420 Moreshwar. Deshastha. miles. (Jahagirdar of Bavada.) - 3· Meherban Jays i ngr ao Sarj erao Kagal. Maratha. 9 1,151 square 45.324 3,61,871 2,000 alias Abasaheb Ghatge. Vajrat miles. (Jahagirdar of Kagal Sr.) Ma·ab. Meherban Santajirao alias Senapati. Kapshi. Maratha. 23 831 square 11,747 1,14o499 •• 301 •· Babasaheb Ghorpade, miles. (Jahagirdar of Kapsbi.) ---1---- S· Meherban Narsojirao Senakhas· Kolhapur, Maratha. 16 137'2 square 12,535 1,12,923 1,014 alias Babasaheb Sbinde, khel. miles. (J ahagirdar of Torgal.) 6, Meherban Narayanrao Pant Sacbiv. lchalkaranji Brahmin 55 241 square 6o,366 7·30,009 2,000 Govind alias Baba- Kokanastha miles. saheb Ghorpade. (J ahagirdar of lchalkaranji.) - r--- 1· Meherban Da ttaj i rao Sarjerao. Kolhapur. Maratha. 51 17'3 square 6,110 1,36,354 2,154 alias Balasaheb Ghatge. miles. (Jahagirdar of Kagal Jr.) - -- 8, Meherban Udajirao alias Himmat Kolhapur. Maratha. 51 49' r square 17o986 1,29,763 •• ooo Abasaheb Chavan. Bahadur. miles. (Jahagirdar.) -- 9· Kolhapur. Maratha. 38 21 ·6 square 6,496 82,199 2,626 Moh"""Raosaheb swNimbalkar..... ""'i"''"''" Bahadur, miles. (Jahagirdar.) l.J tprs , PART II. TEMPLES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND PLACES OF INTEREST. Ambabai Temple. PART II. TEMPLES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND PLACES OF INTEREST. This very famous temple is situated about a hundred yards to the north-west of the old State Palace, and is a finished gem of Chalukyan or the Vesara type of Hindu Architecture. The central building, around which are grouped a number of independent shrines, is star-shaped in plan like the temple of Ambemath near Kalyan, is two storeyed and contains, besides the main shrine dedicated to Amba Bai or Maha La.kshmi, a shrine to the south dedicated to Maha Saraswati and another to the north, dedicated to llaha Kali. As the style indicates, the oldest part of the present shrine may have been the work of the early . Chalul1·as (550 A.D. to 66o A.D.) which the Silhara rulers of Kolhapur (ninth century A.D. and onwards) added to and embellished considerably. Later on, O\\ing to the combined infiuences, of tbe earthquakes and the iconoclastic tenden· cies ofthelluslim invaders, its sculptures were tom from their niches and mutilated. About the middle of the eighteenth century, the Olatrapatis KOLHAPUR STATE. of Kolhapur once again restored the glory of. the shrine and added to it its present towers (Shikaras), restored those sculptures which could be recovered and also adorned it. :with gateways, etc., so that the present shrine consists of two parts-one, the old that received . additions from the seventh century to the. tenth, and the modem ·from the eighteenth century to the present day. · The· old: structure is ,built of close fitting mortat;less stone, quarlied. in the neighbourhood, an~ capable of taking high polish. The: main. building, as · it stands at present, consists of an Entrance ~andap (Prayesa .Mandap) now sty~ed .fam11iar(y a~ ,the ~aru~~ ~a~.d~p, in which: d"QI~_ng ·. t:P.e. ··.N.avaratra celebrations in A.sh.vi,n: (September-:Qctober) · a silver image. of Jh~. godd.:ess :is. installed. for worship. on the. raised :ston~ ::. platform.·. therein.. . As one en~ers · , the .Qld; main· _bui,lding, ·one sees the Mukh. (face) .MCjlllqap o~. either si4e. of w~ch in t~e nich~s are ·be::mtifql_iin~ges, the _chief of them being the dupli .c(l.t~ of .t~e :so-called Bhara~a and Shatrughna ixnag~s, though in reality in spite of all their .ch~, .th~y .are . only_ Jain. Dwarapalas (gate .~e~pers).: This _Mandap leads o~ to .. the Mani .(~ell) .M~ndap,, which. is. artistically .paved, ·at .ili.e~ ~~4: ~ails- of which are two very beautiful Dwarapalas. (gat~.keepers) called Jaya and :Vijay~ • .cast_ ··in heroic . mould, . like .·t~e. huge Buddha Prti Am · T mpJe. TEirlPLES AND POBUC BUILDINGS. 4I ; figures at the Kanheri Caves. This Bell Manda.p leads into the Jfula-sthan or the Sandum SaJ&C Iorum, wherein is the image of Maha. La.kshmi or Amba BaL This image was hidden away for nearly two centuries because of the fear of Moslem molestation and was placed here only in the year 1722 A.D. This central shrine- has got round· it a passage for circumambulation (Pradakshina). The first floor of this central shrine now houses a Linga to which steps lead from near the Mahakali. A magnificent array of danseuses "(dancing apsa.rasas), locally known as the sixty four Yoginis, adorn the outer walls of the central &brine. They range from the sixth· to the eighteenth century, the more antique among them being indeed tres charmanl. Besides this central shrine, there are other &ubsidiary and surrounding shrines, the chief of which, from the point of view of art and antiquity, are the shrines of the Sheshasbayi and the Nava· graha or rather Ashtadik-pal Mand.ap. The Shesbasha}i shrine contains inside a sculpture of Vishnu, reclining on his primeval serpent couch, though the sculpture here is not so very beautiful as those at Bhaireswarvadi and Talsandhe {villages in Kolhapur territory). The front of this shrine is adorned with the figures of the Seven Mothers and Ganapati in the same way as at the side Linga shrine at Elephanta, 42 KOLHAPUR STATE. thus indicating clearly that this shrine owes its inspiration to the kings of the Chalukya race, whose tutelary deities these goddesses were. IIi the front of the shrine there is a beautiful Mandap, the inner dome of whose ceiling is ·carved in a·most exquisite fashion, rivalling in its delicacy the carvingiriside the ceiling .of. Vimala Saba at Mount: Abu. ·Under the carved ceiling are .stariding figures of naked Jain Tirthankaras, while the inscriptions which are carved along in an old form of' Canarese (Hale Kanada) . inform us that they are the work of a pious Jain King. ' · The Navagraha Mandap, miscalled so from 'the numb.er of the nine panels that adorn the inner face of its ceiling, is an exquisite work of ancient Indian sculpturesque architecture, and contains 'also a fuie frieie of swans excelling in beauty even 'those on the moonstone at Anuradhapura (Ceylon) . .At. the ends of th1s Mandap, as on the facings of the ·slieshashayi, are exquisite types of Indian womanhood whom religion has sanctified as ·Aps'a.fa.S (DiVine .Nymphs) .. The inner shrine con 'tains ·a fig'tire of Durga slaying the Buffalo Demon (Mahishasura · Mardhini) and also another fine ·group; depicting the Solar delty being borne .aloft 'on his seven .horsed, single wheeled chariot ·(Ratha).' · · In addition to these two subsidiary shrines, .the temple also contains other -smaller· places of t ..di T mp~ . TEMPLES AND PUBUC BUU.. DINGS. 43 worship, each of which enshrines images ranging from one to about hall a dozen. Of these, the most important are the small temples of Dattatraya llari-Hareshwar, Mukteshvari, Yitoba, Kashi·· vishveshvar, Rama and Radhakrishna. The ima.scs of Bharata and· Sl}atrughna, Vishnu and Shiva-Parvati, the ten incarnations of Vishnu (Dasavata.r), of the five sacred rivers, of Mahakali Qocally kno\\n as Jaratkaru) and Kartikswami and Gaja Laksluni, lodged in different parts of the inclosure, and those containing some fine specimens of art that are now housed in the small side shrine, kno\\n as the lndra Sabha, are also worshipped by their votaries. The temple has four gates, the principal one being called the Maha Dwara facing the \Vest. It has on its top a Nagarkhana (Drum chamber). There are on the northern side, two tirthas (pool:; of holy water) kno"n as the Kashi and the Manikamika, whose sides are lined with images and hero stones. The most important among them are a scene representing Jain version of the Temptation of Buddha, the statues of llalarama, of the sages Agastya and Narada, of Krishna pla)ing the flute, of Siva and Parvati, of Gaja Lakshmi, etc. The temple has also in addition to these, a block of modem dipamalas (stone pillars for supporting rows of lamps) and two modem 44 KOLHAPUR STATE. fountains. About eight inscriptions. in . Sanskrit and old ·Kanarese are found in different parts of the temple. ·. Ydoba · • · · This temple, too, like that of Amba Bai, owes Temple. its inspiration to the Chalukyas, and its embellish ment :to. the' Silahar iulers of Kolhapur (from the ninth. century "and onwards) and is similar to it m pofut of style~- the material employed and technique. . -- . · · The. temple, as. it. is at present, belongs to three :epochs, one, the ·early or the Chalukya .· Silahara; .the :second . the ·Bij a pur, and the third · froin the. ~ighteenth century an~ onwards. Thus the eastern portion .of it, containing some of the lovel,i"est' scUlptures, though now in a state of ·partial -mutilation, . belongs to the early period, .the; southern and ·the rest are works of the fourteenth ·and ·fifteenth centuries, while the Sikhara · {dome) belongs to the eighteenth century. :· .. . Origin3J.ly, this temple stood on an eminence or raised platform: of its· own, but after its partial demolition linder Mus~. regime the walls were patched up ~and the temple . assumed its present condition." . " \ ; :... ·It is.entered by.a gate from the north wherein have been sandwiched a few hero stones and the figqres ·of .• the sage .· Agastya, picked from some wliere.elSe.: Itleads.outo three or four important shri.D.es,: the . chief among" which are the old .M d oir. TEMPLES AND PUBUC BUILDINGS. 45 shrines of Mahadeva and Vitoba and modem ones, dedicated to Vishnu and Rama. Of these the shrine of Mahadeva is the oldest and the more important. Its Entrance (Pravesa) Mandap has aceiling the carvings in which resemble very much, and are as beautiful as those of the Sh~hashayi in Ambabai Temple. Its entrance .doorway is worked and coruscates like a jewel rather than like an ordinary caning on stone and is exquisite alike for its taste, restraint and charm. The sculptures that remain on the outer walls of this shrine are fine specimens of Jain Art, before that became degenerated into conventionality and it contains also a short inscription in Ca.narese. nus group of small temples is situated on the rrc: hillocks so named, and present a fine view of the ._... City of Kolhapur and the surrounding country. Near this on the neighbouring b.ilJs are the Hill (Sir Claude) Sanatorium for consumptives and also the water reservoir connected \\ith the Panch Ganga Mehal pumping installation. Temblai or Tryambuli is considered as the sister of Amba Bai. whom she left because of a quarrel and to bring her round, her sister, Amba Bai, \isits her once a year. On this occasion a symbolical Yatra or festival is held, when the image of Amba Bai is carried in a procession usually attended by His Highness the Maharaja accompanied by Sardars, Mankaris, officers, etc., and all State paraphernalia. to the KOLHAPUR STATE. shrine of Temblai, and the victory which Temblai won for her sister over the demon Kolla, is symbolically represented by a pumpkin being cut by an unmarried daughter of the headman of the village of Bavada. The small temple to the north is that of Margai (Goddess of Epidemics). Panch Ganga Ghats. n h an h ut . TEMPLES AND PUBUC BUILDINGS 47 OTHER TEMPLES~ Besides the Amba Bai, the Vitoba and the Temblai, Kolhapur contained at least a hundred shrines, all told, several of which are subter· ranean, the chief among them being that of Kh.andoba called the Khol or ·the underground Khandoba, wherein there is a Linga at a depth of about thirty feet below the level of the sur rounding area. Such shrines are quite numerow, any casual excavation occasionally lays bare such a shrine along \\ith its sacred pool of water or tank and a few sculptures. I. Of the Jain temples called BusJis, which according to tradition choked up the present city area to the number of three hundred and sixty, the most important one at present is the Jain Busti in Shukrawar Peth, containing some very fine Tirthankara statues in beautiful finely polished black stone like those of the North Canara Jain Images, a profusion of Jain Bronzes and two inscriptions in Canarese, engraved on huge pieces of rock and laid to rest leaning against the wall, and Kirti Stumbha (pillar of fame) in the front, similar in style to that of Gurusankary in North Kanara, but neither so . . beautiful nor old. II. The Jirghe's Jain Busti is a clean neat, well lighted beautiful modem structure, h.1\ing the usual Jain Bronzes and also the usual images. KOLHAPUR STATE both in the .Black:stone.of. North· Canara style, · ~·;we~ as tho.s~ ~p~rted .frt?m. Upper India, the ~tone . us~d:. being ~he· beautiful .white: Jaipur marble . · · · , · · ·· · .. }~I! ·~Th~: ~~ap~. J$ B~sti.: is. on~ ofthe ~Ides~ Eustis in Kolhapur, the ~ite,on 'yhichit·is si~~at~4. is. very an~ique_, .though the. t~mple. that now stands on the site is barely,.a hundr~d years ·t?ld. Still: this .area is ·very important· not so ntuch for :the .tliings above ground. as for .those below,·. among. which. m;1y ..be· mentioned. some :fine Jain panels with Tirthankara figures, so.me , l:>eautjfp!· and · majestic .sta,tues, sorp.e· exquisite . . . "' carvings of dancing. scenes, :etc.: . . . · : ..·IV.. The Jain Busti. neat: Khol Khandoba is also. a' very. antique shrine, with. an inscrip~ion pedest~ :on.: the .first .. floor shrine. room, .and contains figures. of the. great. saints, 24 in·number, worshipped by ·J ains. . Besides . the usual '] ain figures and Bronzes, 'it 'has two Dwarapa.J.a~. which but for .their ml;ltilation would be real ornaments of Indian· art ..Near .thiS :is another.Jain · _shrine containing. a large number of Jain images, ·the most. interestfug. being the depiction· of the I ,008 Jains.on·whatapparentlyJs. a tower·inthe typical Aryava!ta or the Nagar style, resembling those ~f. the~ temples~ of Orissa ·or. Khaj':lfahO, though :x;eproduc~d · here· on. a : very: small .scale.: · In the COil1potin:d ·. of :this . temple: ~ the :neighbouring TEltPLES AND PUBUC BUILDI:SGS 49 • Hindu Temple, there is a very tine seated sculp- ture of Saraswati (the Goddess of Learning). . These temples, which are erected to the saaed .wnr!:: memory of the revered ancestors of the present Chhatrapati Maharaja Saheb, are located behind the Town Hall gardens and ori the banks of the Puncha Ganga. The best specimens of the class are to be found on the banks of that saaed stream. Of these temples dedicated to the kings and queens and other members of the Royal family of Kolhapur, including the late lamented brother of the present Maharaja Saheb, the finest is the llnga shrine of His Highness Shivaji III, which was finished in the year xSxs. It represents a har monious combination of both the Hindu and the Muslim styles of Architecture. Its interior built, of the local basaltic trap, displays the high mirror like polish the stone is capable of receiving. It resembles the interior of the Lomas Rishi's ca\·e near Gaya. so KOLHAPUR STATE TEMPLE OF KOPESHWAR, KHIDRAPORE.· Khidrapore is a village about seven miles by the: river way from Narsoba Wadi. It is one of the · celebrated places of pilgrimage in the Kolliapur State, standing on the river Krishna. and contains two famous temples, one of ·which is now dedicated to Hindu worship and the other to the Jain. . Of these two, the bigger and by far the finer is the Hindu temple which appears also to be one of the oldest from the point of view of style. This temple now contains two Lingas called Kopeshwar and popeshwar in the Mulasthan, and parts of it, especially the front section of it musf have once been converted and used as a mosque, a similar example being the Jain temple . converted into a mosque at Delhi. Needless to say, this finest gem. of Hindu Sculpturesque Art came to have the· fullest share of mutilation from the Vandalistic hands of Islam with the result that now very few things are left entire and un spoilt. Still the beauty of what remains over, is so exquisite and splendid that it might be said that it is the finest temple of its kind, namely, of the Vimana style of architecture in the whole of India, the only one approaching this an:ywhere in quality, being the Black Pagoda or the Konaka Temple near Bhuvaneshwar (Orissa). rti · TEMPLES AND Pt'BLIC BUILDINGS 51 This temple is about fifty feet in height and the base of the temple lies buried under eight to ten feet of the Krishna mud. The main structure is in the form of a charriot or Ratha, such as is used even to-day in South India. The first layer of ornamentation begins \\ith beautiful serpentine coil like scroll work containing inside small figures. After a stage, begin the freize of elephants which are far more elegant and beautiful than those at Halcbid (~lysore) though the number here is only one hundred. On the back of the elephants are mounted figures of Hindu Gods and Goddesses, so that this row is a veritable sculptured pantheon of the Hindu conception of Heaven. At the feet of the elephants and clinging to their proboscides are also beautiful figures and the surrounding wall spaces are cl10kcd and filled with other sculptures depicting Hindu social life \\ith its ,·aried forms of enjoy ment. In the middle part of the temple three or four tiers above this, are also represented groups of Hindu deities and episodes from the Ra~ayana, the chief of which is the scene of the attempt of Surpanaka, the sister of Ravana, exhibiting a most be\\itching dance, to entice away Sri Rama from his legitimate \\ife and companion in exile, Sita. Other groups contain Vishnu and I akshmi, Braluna and his consort, and surrounded by Clunnui bearers, the Matrika group, the Ganapati, 52 KOLHAPUR STATE etc •. Between these major groups which seem as if they divide the :foreSt ·of sculptures into well marked . and . properly: defined preserves,. are depicted ·the'. _DiVine ·.dancers, gorgeously orna mented,: divinely clothed and with coiffures and poses. of the body which depict them in all. the varioUs . modes vf .dancing then known to the ·ancieilf. lndiarl (seventh century A.D.). Many are .. clothed .only in . diaphanous robes, which accentuate ·and. mak~ pronounced the least curves and 'rythms of the channing. Indian feminine body so: thaffor one. Venus d'Milo or Venus D'Medici we have here by .the dozens, the pose, the carriage .and the chic ·of every one I being different from the. others. . · . · · ·~ · I ; .· • ~ · : Besides these; up to the end of the cornice the whole structure is cov~red with single detached figures, and couple groups who observe Purdah in the: shaded coinices and comers' of the niches, afraid as it were ag;they are still of the rude gazes or Varidalism of Man. .The interior of the temple consists ; of. the usu3.1 .Mulasthan and the Mani, :Mukha and· the Pravesa ·Mandaps, whose Pillars riot ~ iri ··their. · beauty ·and·. variety, ensconcing in. semi-sacred. light ·not . only figures of Hindu gods ·and' gOddesses~ but also· .Mithuna couples of men: aild monkeys .. : In the front of this temple is :th'e.,so-called Asthana Mandapa which is now open ~to·. "the: skies, : supported at the front by id mpl , olh pur t t TEKPLES AND PC'BUC Bt11LDINGS . 53 : elephant groups and in the inside by very beautiful carved pillar groups, the whole structure being a sixteen angled one with the doorways opening on the four sides, the ceilings, so far as they are pre served being a chief~oeuwe of Indian Art, \\ith the Hindu deities like Subramanya., VIShnu, Siva, Braluna, etc., gracefully posing' on their vehicles along with their wives. The Jain temple which· is now used as a Busti for worship consists of two strata, the upper and the lower, the lower probably being of the· same date as the Hindu temple, and the upper probably built within living memory. , 54 KOLHAPUR STATE NE\V PALACE. .. . The New Palace is situated to the North of the Kolhapur City .at a distance of about two miles. This 'magnificent building, which was deSigned by Major Mant, Royal Engineer, Archi tect ·to the Government of Bombay, took seven years to complete, from 1877 to r884, and cost ab?ut ,7lacs of rupees. The building faces south and has an octagonal tower in· the centre, com moniy krio~ as the Clock Tower, about 25 feet 'broad (outside dimension) and 135 feet high .. The ·end 'room~ of the Pal~ce are ·octagonal in shape both in front and at back, and it has a grand Darbar hall and billiard room on one side and two reception rooms' 'on the other. At the back is an open chouk (square) with a fountain at the centre and an enclosed verandah arcade and rooms on all sides of the chouk. The main building is two-storied with a terraced roof and numerous turrets and domes. The Palace is designed with an exquisite grace of outline which characterises the mixed Hindu style of architecture and is ornamented with a profusion of elaborate detail which presents itself to the utmost advantage. The Palace, situated as it is on an elevated spot, enjoys a healthy atmosphere and commands beautiful scenery on all sides. It is the grandest buildings in Kolhapur. ROYAL FAMILY OF ENGLAND. Busts of Their Majesties QUEEN VICTORIA, KING EDWARD and QUEEN ALEXANDRA, KING GEORGE and QUEEN MARY and their Royal Highnesses DUKE and DUCHESS OF CONNAUGHT. 1\e Royal FamilJ of f.o&land includin, the busts of Their late Majestiea QueeD--Empresa Victoria ud lint• Emperor Edward the VD ud Queea Aleunclra, ud Their Majestiea KiD1•Emperor Ceorp the V ud Queea Mary, ud Their Royal Hi&baesse1 Duke and Duche11 of Coaaaucht. Kolhapur owes this fine group of statue busts of the Royal Family of England to His late Highness' personal feelings of deep loyalty and devotion to the Imperial House. His late High· ness had the unique privilege of personally knowing the august sovereigns descended from the Great Queen, the first Empress of India. He also appreciated very keenly the high regards Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Connaught had for him, and their busts have found place in this group. It is picturesquely situated by the side of a fountain, nestling among large shady trees, in a prominent place opposite the stately buildings of the Albert Edward Hospital. Her late Majesty Queen Victoria's statue bust was un\'eiledon the 21st of March 1908 by the then Governor His Excellency Sir George Cla.rke (now Lord Sydenham). - I ...J New Palace. 0 0 p 0 H ). PUBLIC BUILDINGS ss OLD PALACE. llis was built 200 years since.. Some por· tions of this Palace having been set on fire in the insurrection of 1813 by Sadalla Khan, they had to be rebuilt from time to time. The front 'portion is almost a new one. It is ~ two-storied building having a terrace all over eXcept the central portion where a hall has been erected which is sometimes used as office by His Highness. It contains 6 Chouks (quadrangles) appropriated for different purposes, the most important of them being the one called Ambabai's Chouk in which the image of the family deity, viz., Ambaba.i, is set up. In this Chouk, Darbars are held and all the religious functions connected \\ith His Highness's household, gone through. The original structure having undergone several changes, the exact cost cannot be given : however, it· cannot be below IS lacs. Several offices have been located in this extensive build ing such as Hu.tur Treasury, His Highness's Khasgi Department, old Militia, old Records, Daftardar's and District Registrar's offices, the State gra.n3.ry, &c. To the North of the Palace there is a massive five-storied building in the old style, used for Nagarkhana (drum-house). It was planned and constructed under the personal supervision of the last independent ruler H. H. Buwa Saheb KOLHAPUR STATE Maharaj. The. work took nearly eleven years t<>.. ~o~plete fro~ .1.827 ·to, 183~~ .. ·lts cost, is. unknoWn.. However, it may be ~stimated ~t ,about slacs. : The Nagarkhana has iio-w··: been. remove'd to 3.' ·b~llding. specially built fQr 'the' pUrpose iii front of the Palace as the beat ~g: ~f ~h~ &Uin .ca?~~d. nu.s handsome building is situated to the north-eastern comer of the city, and was built by the State in the year I8j6 at a total cost of Rs. So,ooo. The design of this beautiful build ing, in the Gothic style, was prepared by Major Mant, the Royal Architectural Engineer in the senice of the Dombay Government, and consists of a large central hall and gallery \\ith two rooms on either side, joined to tl1e main hall by a spacious \·crandah in the front. There is a fine porch \\itb a terrace over it, joined to the Hall and gallery. 111e hall is spacious enough to seat 500 persons. TI1e building is surrounded by a beautiful garden. The large oval fountain pla}ing in front and small rescn·oin of water standing at small distances, the picturesque arrangements of different beds of plants and pots, the artificial hill sceneries, the glass house arrangement of plants requiring greater amount of moist heat, the thick bowers of creepers and parasites and to crown all, the small statue bust of SWvaji the Great, recently installed near the fountain, all tend to augment the beauty of this garden. A sum of Rs. .f,OOO is spent annually by the Da.rbar for tl1e maintenance of this garden. A Bandstand is pro,ided where the Kolhapur Infantry Band plays occasionally. KOLHAPUR STATE THE RAJARAM COLLEGE. The Rajaram College is one of the oldest -educational institutions affiliated to the. Univer ~it} ~very year by the Darbar at a cost of Rs. 225. The Kolhapur City Municipality has sanctioned an annual grant of Rs. soo. · 64 · KOUIAPUR STATE . AHILYABAI GIRLS' SCHOOL, KOLHAPUR. . . . ~ · :. ·The· Institution is named after· the present Maharaja's great great-grandmother;· a lady • known fo~ h~r piety.and love of learning. There are .at present "m all 7 Girls I Schools in the town of· Kolhapur and its suburbs of which Ahilyabai Girls' School is the largest and first in point of importance •.The School-house was built in modern fashion in the year 1881-82 at a total cost of Rs. 35,ooo. It furnishes accommodation for about 300 girls .. ·A. complete Marathi course qualifying the girls to appear for the Vernacular Final Exa mination is taught in it and to meet the growing demand for education, English is taught at present up· to.·the ·sth Standard complete. Judging from the . ever-increasing · popular liking for · English education for girls, it is expected that the insti- . tUtion will soon develop into a complete Female High SchooL The standard ot tuition has been kept corresponding · to that in Boys' Schools. Provisi~n is also made to impart instruction to pupils in all branches of. learning requisite for . girls such. as needle-work, embroidery, drawing, singing, · etc.· The School is managed by a lady who is agraduate ·of Indian Women's University. She is Supenntendent of the· Female Education up.der the general supervision of the Educational Inspec~or. · The Darbar is paying special atten- . tion to· the quality ()f the education imparted to -b · Girl ' hool. PUBUC BUILDINGS the girls. \Vith that obj~t in view 41ady teachers are sent every year to the Training College, main· tained by the Darbar, to qualify themselves as teachers. , For the encouragement of female education, the Institution has been endowe~ with scholar· ships and prizes by the Darbar as well ~ some private individuals, most prominent among which is " H. H. the Maharani Saheb of Dewas Sr. S. S. Akka Saheb Maharaj Scholarship and Prize," the special feature of which is that it is awarded every year to the successful student who obtains the highest number of marks for regular attendance and good conduct .. The prize consists of an ornamental silver plate worth Rs. 40. Sufficient encouragement is also given to the girls of the depressed classes by granting them special scholarships in this Institution. A small library is attached to the Institution for the use of the staff and the students. With tbe object of creating a liking for reading, the use of the library is extended to the ladies in the town on payment of a nominal monthly sub scription. In 1924 Kolhapur was sel~ted as one of the centres of the Girls' V emacular Fmal Examina· tion by the British Education Department and the examination is held every year in this Insti· tution under the supenision of the Educational Inspector and the Lady Superintendent. 66 " KOLHAPUR STATE Not to lag behind the times the Institution of " Girl Guides " has recently been inaugurated in this school under the kind supervision of Miss· Seiler, District ~onunissioner of Girl Guides. · At present 20 girls are under training as guides, the ~dy Superintendent being the head of the Troop. The movement is in its initial stage, but the progress made by it during the short period of a few months promises a good development in the near future. The total cost of maintenance of this single . Institution is Rs. 14,702 a year~ The number at present on the roll is 290 and the daily average attendance is 205 •. Pt'BUC Bt'ILDINGS 6'J JAYSIUNGRAO GHATGE TECHNICAL INS TITUI'E. This Institution was founded in the year 1887 in the re\·cred memory of the late Jayshingrao alias Abasaheb Ghatge Sarjerao Vajarat lla-ab, Chief of Kagal (Sr.) and the regent of Kolhapur. 1l1e School s).ves a four years' practical course of instruction in two branches, t•i:., Carpentry and Fitting.· Carpentry includes (a) Joinery, (b) \Vood turning, (c) French polishing and (l) Dra"'ing up to :nd grade. Fitting includes (a) Smithy, (b) Metal turning, (c) Brass founding, (l) Simple engine driving, (e) Dra\\ing up to :znd grade, and (/) General knowledge of Machinery. Successful students from fourth year are admitted to re cci\'e instruction in motor repairing and driving. The School is under the direction of a Commit· tee consisting of the Principal Rajaram College, the State Executi,·e Engineer and the Educational Inspector, Kolhapur, the Principal being the pre sident of the Committee. Boys, after passing the sth Verna.cular stan dard, are admitted into the School. IS Scholar ~hips to the :znd, Jrd and -4th year students and 2-f to the 1st year students of difierent castes, are awarded every year. For this purpose the interest on Sir James Fergusson Fund (Rs. 20,000) .and on JayshiDc:,trrao Ghatge Technical Fund (Rs. :6,900) is plued on aedit in Humr Treasury: 68 KOLHAPUR STATE and the sum of_ Rs. 5,260 is sanctioned in the annual budget of , the Educational Inspector as Endowment Fund, from which these Scholar ships are annually awarded to the students. lhe number of students on the roll at present is 44, 24 students are learning Carpentry, and 20 receiving instruction in Brass and Iron Work, etc. Of the 44 students, 25 are Maharathast 8 Brahmins, I 'Mohammedan and IO of other castes. The total, expenditure incurred annually on the Institution amounts to Rs. 6.486. H it I. PUBUC BUILDINGS &) ALBERT ED\\'ARD HOSPITAL, KOLHAPUR. The foundation stone of this building was laid by Sir James Fergusson, the then Governor of Bombay, on the 9th. March I88I, and the Hos pital has been named Albert Edward Hospital in commemoration of the visit in 1875 to this country of His Royal Highness. the then Prince of \Vales. The building was completed in the year 1884 at a total cost of three lakhs of rupees. The design of this beautiful building in Gothic style was prepared by Major !rant, Royal Architec tural Engineer in the senice of the Bombay Go\·cmment. The building gi\·es accommodation to about a • hundred in-patients. A Contagious Diseases \Vard bas been attached to the Hospital. There is also separate arrangement for the treatment and accommodation of persons of both sexes suffering .. from mental diseases. The male and female in patients have got their separate wards. Lately. an Anti-Rabie Treatment Centre has been opened in the A. E.Ho5pital where Anti-Rabic Treatment is given free. A Child-\Veliare Association Centre bas been opened and attached to this Hospital. Milk is distributed gratis at this centre to children of the poor, and free ad\ice regarding the health of children is given to the parents here. under direction of the Darbar Surgeon. The Darbar KOLHAPUR STATE Surgeon has under his control the Medical Depart~ ment of the State and is assisted in his work by two assistant Surgeons, one Lady Doctor and a large staff o£ qualified· Sub-Assistant Surgeon~. He and his Assistants have been provided with quart~rs in the vicinity of the Hospital buildings. ·. The total cost of maintenance of this Institu tion during the year 1926-27 was Rs. 5r,685 · approximately. The number of in-patients during the year 1926-27 was 1,864 and that o£ out patients was 44,893, showing a daily average of about 341 patients. ' . Pt'BUC Bt'ILDINGS iJ. HER JIIGH:SESS SHRI VIJAYAMALA liAIIARA:SI VETERINARY HOSPITAL. The Panjrapole Committee have erected this building at a cost of about Rs. 25,000 on a spacious site, granted by the Darbar.. It has been named after Her Highness S. S. Shrl Vijayamala Maharani Saheb of Kolhapur and supplements the work of the State \'eterinary dispensary. The opening ceremony was performed by Colonel E. O'Brien, C.B.E., popular Resident of Kolhapur, and Senior Political Agent, Southern Mahratta Country States, on the 27th June 1927. 72 · KOLHAPUR STATE RAJPUTWADI STATE PADDOCK. The paddock is located in the Rajputwadi camp about five miles on the way to Panhala. It was started by His late. ·Highness Sir Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaja Saheb. His Highness Sir Shri Rajaram Maharaj has made considerable alterations in _it. In 1922 it had 20 thorough bred English mares and 40 Australian and Country bred. Now the corresponding numbers are 27 and so. It now contains 6 English breeders, 2 Arab, 10 English ~olts, 22 country and 2 Havena ponies. In all there are II9 horses. Land, four miles in cir~umference, is reserved for graz ing. ·A small tank on the adjoining Jotiba Hill supplies water to the stud. There is also another small tank near the paddock, which, besides supplying drinking water to the animals, is useful in irrigating lands on which lucerne,. guinea grass, carrots, etc., are grown. From 1922-27 the breeding establishment has added, on an average, 8 English and 15 other horses annually. The former are used for races and the latter for the State Risalla. Some of the sires have won Viceroy's and King's cups, as some of the mares have won other cups. A veterinary dispensary is attached to the stud. It is in charge of a graduate of the Bombay Veterinary College. His Highness Shri PLACES OF IMIEIEST 71 Rajaram Chhatrapati 1Iaharaja takes keen perso nal interest. in the working and progress of the paddock. 74 KOLHAPUR STATE SHRI SHAHU CHHATRAPATI SPINNING ·.. ·AND WEAVING MILLS, KOLHAPUR. These Mills have hitherto been only spinning yam ' with': fourteen thousand spindles and pro ducing yarn something like 3,000 bales every year. His Highness the Chhatrapati Maharaja Saheb, with a view to utilize a great part of this yarn for producing cloth in the State, was pleased . to spend about Rs. 3,oo,ooo for machinery and Rs .. 2,oo,ooo for buildings for this purpose. The Mill industry in · India is passing through very dull times. His Highness the Chhatrapati Maharaja Saheb felt that though to-day this industry may not be prosperous, it will be to the benefit of the subjects and the State to invest this . inoney and produce cloth here in Kolhapur to ·meet local needs by providing cheap cloth to the poor classes. The Weaving Department was opened on the !gth of October 1926, by His Excellency · Sir Leslie Wilson, Governor of Bombay. · · Upto· the· end of the last year these. Mills were being managed by the State officials. His Highness the Chattrapati Maharajasaheb gra ciously offered a splendid opportunity to the business-men · of the State to undertake the . : management of this large business, which has . been· placed since the ISt of January 1927 under u ill • PLACES OF INTEIU:ST 15 a board composed of the two business-men and an officer on behalf of the Dar bar. · The Mills turned out this year 1,275.100 lbs. of yam and the cloth manufactured \\"aS 1-47,948 lbs. In order to have varieties. of cloth \\ith various ~ohades and colours, the management have added· a Small dyehouse which was quite necessary. TI1e mills now can manufacture, along \\itb white khadi. long-cloth and bed sheets, shirting, bordered dhoties. sarles, etc. KOLHAPUR STATE .HIS EXCELLENCY SIR LESLIE 'WILSON R SH~I RAJAR.i\M ~A:NK. : I II "I • • •• T~s ·.tank · is · .named . after His Highness Sir :Shri Rajaram .Mahataj, G.C.I.E.~ Maharaja Saheb . of Kolhapur. His Highness' interest in agricultur~ has ,induced him to tum it into a small.irrigation project. priginally the tank \\'as designed to impound suffident water for supple~ · m~nting the water _supply to Kolhapur City, thi! supply · from ·. Kala~ba Tank being inadequate to· .m~et -the. gr:owing demands of the increasing population.· . As: it ;was found subsequently that th~ h~ad co~anded by the sluice was not suffi cient, it was converted at His Highness' instance int~ _an Irrigation Scheme as a sort of protective \YO~k .. M.tb a storage .cap~city of 38 million cubic feet, proposing to irrigate 150 acres of land grow ing sugar-cane by rotation, thus covering a total_ cultivable area of 300 acres. - The independent catchment area of the tank being found very small, it is arranged to have the drainage diverted from the Nala on the other side of the road by means' of a lifting dam and a feeder channel with the requisite masonry work, such as relieving weirs, etc., along the line of channel, for ensuring the iritended supply. Other masonr.Y works required for the tank proper, viz., sluice and weir, have also been included _ and are. in progress. Hi Hi hn HH R P an ( und r on tr u 11 n l PLACES OF INTEREST 79 The total estimated cost of the project amounts to three and a quarter lakhs of rupees and it is estimated to bring in a revenue of Rs. 15,000 every year, at the rate of Rs. 100 per acre, for sugar-cane cultivation, it being the usual assessment levied in thes.e parts of the Kolhapur State, thus working out nearly at -tl per cent. per annum on the capital outlay. So KOLHAPUR STATE PUNCHGANGA PUMPING INSTALLATION. The site selected near the Punchganga Mahal is an ideal one, secUring the special advantages conferred by Nature, of not only a rocky bank for loc3:ting the pump well but also of the existence of a pool abutting for nearly r! miles higher up the river with a depth ranging from 8' to 14', thus ensuring unfailing supply, much more than the actual requirements during the summer months of the year. The machinery is designed for forcing a · discharge of 400 gallons per minute, and sending the intended supply, viz. r,so,ooo gallons, to the Service Reservoir, in 6! hours. It consists of Low-duty Worthington steam plant of 45 B.H.P. with low and high-lift pumps and also Babcock and Wilcox boilers. The source of supply being the river, arrangement is made for the purifica tion of the water, as will be explained below. It may also be noted here that there are duplicate sets of machinery in each section, the object being to have one set as a sort of stand-by, in case of any break-down or accidents in one set during working, at any time in future. The total height to which the water has to be raised will be r8sft., i.e., on the top of Temblai Hills, it being higher by 55 ft. than the. highest place in the Kolhapur City. h l'LACES OF I~TEREST SI Process of purification commences \\ith the discharge of water through the in-take pipe through a copper rose \\ith a number of holes of 1• in diameter fixed at its mouth, which will remove all the larger suspended impurities before the water reaches the pumpwell. Then the water is pumped by the low lift pumps to the . settling tank which is sitUated away from the bank and abo,·e the maximum flood leveL Arrangement is madethere,for administering Alum from the Alumhouse, varying in quantity from Ii to 2l or 3 grains per gallon of water according to its turbidity. Afterwards water flows by gravity to the Jewel Filters, after it is allowed to settle for 6 hours in the settling tank and then made to pass through the filtering materials con· sisting of fine sand and pebble of 1• and 1• in diameter to the pure water tank, immediately below, after being thoroughly agitated by the Agitator Engine fixed at the top in the Filter House. Practically the water will be 99 per cent. clu~mica.lly pure and it is forced through the Rising Main (9• pipe) by the High Lift pump to the Scnice Reservoir located on the top of Temhlai Hills, about Il miles from the Pumping Station, and the water is served therefrom through the distribution to a portion of the City, including the Xew Palace, and the Residency. KOLHAPUR STATE Provision is also made for washing the Filters with 'th~ filtered water from the Rising Main by the insertion of a pressure reducing valve in the ·same, al its .. commencement. If necessary, the introduction of the method for the chlorination of water will have to be considered later on. ·.·.·The population to be served by this scheme will be about' Io,ooo and the supply works out at . 'the' rate of IS gallons per head per day, the general consumption being not · more than ro gallons.·· ·As the machinery can be worked for IO. hours . a day easily, a total supply of 250,000 ,gallons per day ·can be secured,· which will be enough for a· prospective population of 25,000 at . any.tiine in future. · · · :The total cost of the scheme will come to Rs.· 3~io,ooo and as it is expected that there will be at least I,ooo ·house connections, the income · #sulting therefrom will be Rs. 24,000 at Rs. 2 . per, month for !" connection, it· being filtered water. Deducting Rs. Io,ooo for working and · depreciating charges, the net· annual revenue ·accruing to Goveinment will be Rs.· 14,ooo on the total. outlay excluding the distribution: PLACES OF INTEREST 83 :KAI..JUIBA TANK. Before t88o, the town of Kolhapur depended for its supply of drinking water on some wells and springs situated in the Katyayani valley, whence a masonry conduit. led to a senice rcsen·oir, which in its turn fed a net work of pipes distributed through the to\\n. The experience of se\·eral years, however, showed that the supply from these sources was not only inadequate, but was subject to constant \'anations and stoppages, and it was proposed to make this supply supplemental to that derived !rom a resen·oir of a capacity sufficient to impound 292,000 gallons of water, which would daily give 40,000 people IO gallons per head during 2 years. In May tSSo._.. Major Smith, R.E., Officiating Superintending Engineer, P.\V.D., Bombay, after careful exploration, selected a suitable site in the Katyayani \'alley, about 3 miles from the town of Kolhapur and adjacent to the \illage of Kalamba. The tank was designed by Mr. R. J. Shannon, State Executi\'e Engineer, and was constructed by him in the reign of His Highness Shh·aji 01hatrapati an • PLACES OF ~ttltt.ST 85 RANKALA TA."iK. The tank is named after the God Rank Bhairav, an incarnation of God Shiva. The beginning of the Rankala Tank is said to have been a quarry from which stones were supplied to the Jain and other Temples in· tbe town. After· wards in the 8th or 9th century an earthquake is said to have enlarged the quarry and filled it "ith water. The tank is now fed by two streams in the south and has also a natural waste weir in the western direction. Later on, in the year 1883, the Rankala water supply was much im proved and now it presents an appearance of a fine large artificial tank. A new dam of cut stone has been built on the City side at a total cost of about 2,6o,ooo rupees. It is often compared to and is styled as the Back Bay of Kolhapur by \isitors. The Rankala water is now used for irrigation and washing purposes only. The total area at present irrigated by . the waters is about 230 acres, )ielding a revenue of rs.ooo rupees per annum. The water was formerly used for drinking purposes and was com·eyed to the town for the plllJX)Se, by a small conduit built of brick masonry in old fashion. As the le,·el of this tank is low, the water is dis tributed only in the suburbs. The tank has a circumference of about t"·o and a half miles and its depth is about 35 feet at the centre. 86 KOLHAPUR STATE PANHALA . .' .. ·This famous hill. fort: rendered impregnable by :Nature and beautiful by .man; around which trails . a thousand · years' glorious · history, is .situated I2 miles to the.north-west of .the historic City. of Kolhapur, at. a height of about 2,772 feet above. the sea level and contains a glorious plateau, second only to that on which Ootacamand Is perched.·. The climate ·is very· salubrious and · healthy and the water-supply is so abundant and surc~arged ·~th · iron· that it might be styled the Spa if not the Sanatorium of Kolhapur. Famous in legend since the mythical days of Rishi Parasar, whose rock cut cavern is still visited by thousands, iLmust 'have been· in ·use as human habitation since. the days. of the Bikkus who hewed out the cave group now called the Pandava Darah (about 3rd·century'B.C.). It came into political import ance during· the glorious days of the Silahara rulers of Kolhapur (I050-II20 A.D.), the greatest of .whom Bhoj :n (ugo A.D.) made it the chief seat of ·his power,. embellishing it with fine and beautiful structures. From him it passed into the hands ·of the Yadhava rulers of Kolhapur and · after a· period ·of independence fell to the on . slaughts of. the ·Bahamani kingdom, descending to: the share of Bijapur on the split up of the Sultanate of the Bahamanis. Shri Siva Chhatrapati · secured it · once· again for the Hindu race and it 0 n nhal ). t . PLACESOFINTEREST 87 after changing ovmership on a few occasions, it has since the founding of the Hindu-pad-Bad· shahi by that great warrior-statesman, remained a cherished possession of the Chhatrapatis. . Regarding the buildings at' present on--· this Fort as well as the remains, most of these are not older than the Bahmani period as the insaip tions, more than a dozen, proclaim. Among these the finest from the viewpoint of art, the Teen Darwaja is intact with an inscription , (A.H. 954) and the \Vagh Darwaja, a shadow of its fonner splendour and greatness, still keeps together the massive slabs on its arch, like the present Indian States of the Maratha Raj. The Ambar Khana is a massive structUre of three separate granaries, in which was stored not only grain and pro\isions for the war, but the recent discoveries of large quantities of lead in the . interior of a wall prove that it served also as a munitions dump. These three, now popularly kno\\n after the three famous rivers of India that make sacrosanct the Prayag (Allahabad) could contain 25,000 khandies of com, which was showered into them through symetrically arranged holes on the tops. much as is the vogue even to-day in South India.. The Dharma Kothi, also a granary cast on a less heroic scale than the ones mentioned abcl\·e, opposite \\'hich is the present dispensary, was so called because, the 88 KOLHAPUR STATE grain stored in it was used for doling out Dharma, or distribution gratis to the deserving .poor and needy. The· Sajja Kothi, now styled as State Bun- . galow No. I, commands the finest position and fonns the central• picture of the beautiful pano rama of Panhala Hills as viewed from the winding road from~ Kolhapur and contains two floors of . habitable rooms, wherein is shown still a window from which the Founder of the Hindu-pad-Bad shahi, escaped into the security of Vishalgad 1 while the Bijapur troops were closely beleaguring the Fort. The terrace ·~f this Sajja looks on another pretty bit of ruins, called the Kalavantin's Sajja, containing a beautiful ornamented ceiling, which contained separate living quarters for thirty of the most beautiful ladies of the Sultan's harem, a combination dance or orchestra by whom was supposed to be not only audible,. but also visible therefrom. Among those devoted to religious uses, the temples of Sambhaji and Jijabai are held sacred by the Hindus, while the tomb of Sad-ud-din or Saint Sadoba, fronted by a fine tank, is held in similar veneration by the Mussal man subjects of His Highness the Chhatrapati Maharaj. Panhala is also- noted for its rich , mineral deposits of kaolin. and bauxite. Printed by H. W. Smith, at the Times Pti!SII, Bombay, and published by Sir R. V. Salmia. K.t., C.L.E., Kolhapur.